High Demand Forces Kenya Airways To Lease Airbus Plane After Nearly 20 Years

Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ) on Wednesday, December 20 signed a short-term lease agreement with Hi Fly, one of the world’s leading lease and charter specialist airlines to enhance operational efficiency during the peak festive season.  

KQ revealed in a statement that the ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) lease will see the immediate introduction of an Airbus A330 into the KQ fleet to support operational efficiency as well as enhance capacity in the market.

Commenting on the new development, Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO, Allan Kilavuka said that the airline needed to take practical steps in the short term to address the pertinent challenges in the market.

“With the current capacity constraints on the back of the growing demand for airline travel, we need to balance our customers' immediate needs by bringing more capacity into the market,” said Kilavuka.

Airbus A330 arrives in Nairobi; joining our fleet to support operational efficiency as well as enhance capacity in the market. READ MORE: https://t.co/gjd39r5t7u pic.twitter.com/bqBNPqFxZa — Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) December 20, 2023

The arrival of the aircraft will also support the anticipated increased number of travellers following the recent announcement by President William Ruto on ending visa requirements for all visitors to Kenya starting in January 2024 making Kenya a visa-free country.  

According to Kilavuka, this was the quickest way to immediately deal with capacity challenges because it enabled the airline to get an aircraft that was ready to fly.

“With the arrival of the aircraft, we expect to see improved operational stability and efficiency, as well as enhanced capacity for the convenience of our passengers,” noted Kilavuka. 

The wide-bodied aircraft has a capacity for 299 passengers, split into 24 in the business cabin and 275 in the economy class. As a wide-bodied plane, it augments the existing cargo space with additional belly capacity.

Kenya Airways retired its Airbus fleet in 2004 in favour of United States (US)-based Boeing. 

What is an Aircraft Lease?

An aircraft lease is a legal agreement between two parties, typically a lessor and lessee. The lessor agrees to provide the aeroplane to the lessee for a set period in exchange for regular payments called rentals or lease payments.

Aircraft lease payments can be made on either an operating basis where the lessee pays only for flight hours used, or on a full-time basis where all hours are paid upfront. An aircraft lease can also be structured as a single payment with no recurring payments required.

It's important to note that leasing agreements are not loans because there is no interest charged over time and the title does not transfer

Aircraft leasing is a great option for those who want to own an aeroplane without the high cost of ownership. A typical aircraft lease will last between 5 and 10 years, and then you'll return it to the lessor or purchase it outright.

Airbus A330-200 Features

The A330-200 is a powerful variant of the A330, even though it is slightly shorter. It features a classic 3-class configuration and can easily hold up to 253 passengers.

The fuselage frames are much shorter than on the original A330-300 and reach only 58.82 metres.

As part of the A330, the A330-200 is the most spacious of any other similar aircraft in this category. This means that the cabin can easily be set up in several different ways, with optional galleys, stowage areas, lavatories, and groupings for airliners to choose from. 

The A330-200 was first introduced into service in 1998, with Korean Air being the first airliner to use the aircraft. By adjusting the fuselage length, the vertical stabilizer, and the wing, Airbus was able to create a larger and more powerful aircraft. 

There were also several design changes made to this aircraft to ensure that it was not only powerful but also comfortable. The aircraft had a new vertical stabilizer that was first introduced in 2004. The shorter design of the fin was derived from other Airbus planes. 

The redesigned cabin in the A330-200 is incredibly comfortable, making it a great choice for passengers. It can accommodate up to 345 passengers with 12 in the business class and 333 in the economy class, or a total of 332 passengers. This design has 12 sets in club class, as well as 320 in economy class. 

Inside a business class cabin of an Airbus A330. /KENYA AIRWAYS

Additionally, this aeroplane features great in-flight entertainment. With mobile phones, email connectivity, and video-on-demand, this plane is great for passengers. The cabin is incredibly quiet and features ambient lighting, which makes the flight much more comfortable and can decrease jetlag. 

The 18-inch seats offer plenty of personal space and the twin-aisle ensures comfort when navigating the cabin. 

The A330-200 is loaded with two powerful Rolls Royce Trent 772B engines, a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines, or General Electric CF6-80E engines. These engine types are all similar to the ones that are on the A330-300.

This powerful plane can reach an impressive cruising speed of 870km/h and has a range of 9,600 km. The overall length is 58.8 m, and the wingspan is 60.3 m.

With a shorter fuselage than the A330-300, this powerful aircraft still has an impressive fuel capacity of 111,272 kg. It can take off with a maximum weight of 233,000 kg.